Armored Fleet DaiRugger XV
TV Tokyo | network_other = TTV TVB | first = 3 March 1982 | last = 23 March 1983 | episodes = 52 }} was an anime series aired in Japan from 1982. It is also referred to as "''Dairugger 15", "Dairugger XV", "Armored Fleet Dairugger XV", "Armored Armada Dairugger XV", "Armored Squadron Dairugger XV", or "Machine Platoon Dairugger". In the United States, it was changed considerably, and became part of the Voltron series, under the name "Vehicle Voltron". Original story In the original storyline as aired in Japan, Dairugger XV was simply an exploration robot, as well as an intended peace-keeping force. The Earth is in a time of prosperity. The president of the Terran League (the "Galaxy Alliance" in Voltron) launches a mission to explore beyond the galaxy. After commencing its mission of exploration, the starship Rugger-Guard is attacked by a ship of the Galbeston Empire. Dairugger, the super robot, is deployed in order to defend the Earth. It is somewhat by fate that they must help the people of Galbeston find a new planet before it explodes, and liberate it from its despotic Emperor. In the Japanese version, it does not have anything to do with King of the Beasts GoLion, as opposed to the U.S. version, Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Concept There are three assault team units: Land, Air, and Sea. There are a total of 15 parts referred to as "Rugger", which can combine together to form the super-robot Dairugger. The design of the 15 separate Rugger units came from the sport of rugby, since 15 players are required to form a rugby union. Clements, Jonathan. McCarthy Helen. 2006 (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia: Revised & Expanded Edition. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 978-1-933330-10-5 The U.S. version would rename the "Galbeston Empire" to "Drule Empire", along with editing a fair amount of violence and sexual content to keep the show safe for general audience broadcast. At the time of Dairugger XV s screenwriting and original design, there was no intended plan to merge it with what eventually became Voltron. In fact, World Events Productions' original plan was to buy the rights to two other Japanese series — Lightspeed ElectroGod Albegas as "Voltron II", and the older 1979 Future Robo Daltanius as "Voltron IV". The plan never materialized, and Dairugger was the only show left to be adapted into the Voltron universe. Staff * Planning Susumu Yoshikawa Yasuo Nobe Yu Saito * Original concept Saburo Yatsude * Chief Director Kozo Morishita * Series Composition Keisuke Fujikawa * Script Keisuke Fujikawa * Character Design Shigetaka Aoyama * Music Seiji Yokoyama * Production Toei Toei Agency Characters Dairugger Characters Air Team uniforms were red and silver. Sea Team uniforms were blue and gold. Land Team uniforms were yellow and bronze. {|class="wikitable" ! Function ! Japanese Name ! Seiyū ! English Name ! Team ! Vehicle ! Dairugger Body |- |Rugger #1 Pilot|| || Toshio Furukawa || Jeffrey Manabu || Air Team || Command Jet Explorer || head |- |Rugger #2 Pilot|| || Ryōma Yamamoto || Rocky Knowles || Air Team || Strato Weapons Module || upper torso |- |Rugger #3 Pilot|| || Kōzō Shioya || Wolo Lupe || Air Team || Advanced Recon Helicopter || right upper arm |- |Rugger #4 Pilot|| || Satomi Majima || Chip Stoker || Air Team || Advanced Recon Helicopter || left upper arm |- |Rugger #5 Pilot|| || Keiko Han || Ginger Adams || Air Team || Falcon VT Fighter || chest plate |- |Rugger #6 Pilot|| || Hideyuki Hori || Cric Tucker || Sea Team || Communications Module || torso mid-rif |- |Rugger #7 Pilot|| || Harumi Iizuka || Lisa Stoker || Sea Team || Space Prober || right thigh |- |Rugger #8 Pilot|| || Masaharu Satō || Tagor Truman || Sea Team || Space Prober || left thigh |- |Rugger #9 Pilot|| || Shō Hayami || Shannon Landsdown || Sea Team || Multi-Wheeled Explorer || right lower leg |- |Rugger #10 Pilot|| || Ken Yamaguchi || Zandee Rhodes || Sea Team || Multi-Wheeled Explorer || left lower leg |- |Rugger #11 Pilot|| || Katsuji Mori || Cliff Martin || Land Team || Jet Radar Station || | hips |- |Rugger #12 Pilot|| || Nana Yamaguchi || Cinda Lewis || Land Team || Rotating Personnel Carrier || right forearm |- |Rugger #13 Pilot|| || Banjō Ginga || Modoch McAllstair || Land Team || Armored Equipment Carrier || left forearm |- |Rugger #14 Pilot|| || Shingo Hiromori || Marvin Hartford || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || right foot |- |Rugger #15 Pilot|| || Hiroshi Ōtake || Hutch Ortiz || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || left foot |- Other Characters {|class="wikitable" ! Japanese Name ! Seiyū ! English Name ! Voices by |- | || Hideyuki Tanaka || Commander James Hawkins ||Peter Cullen |- |High Commander Wasaka || || Space Marshal Graham || |- | || || Commander Steele || |- |Dick Asimov || Kōji Yada || Captain Newley || Lennie Weinrib |- |Doctor Fatch || || Professor Page || |- | || Kōji Totani || Enemy Commander Hazar || Jack Angel |- |Dorick || || Enemy Officer Mongo || |- |Internal Commissioner Sokuratto Tes || || Chancellor Mozak || |- |Saku || || Dorma || |- |Brak || || Bakki || |- |Rocket || || Captain Nerok || |- | || || Marshal Keezor || |- |Commander Caponello Soushin || || Viceroy Throk || |- |Emperor Conseillu || || Emperor Zeppo || |- Dairugger Specifications Dairugger is made up of 15 vehicle parts. Dairugger is 60 meters tall. * Weapons Laser Sword Spinning Laser Blades Electromagnetic Whip Electromagnetic Beam Laser Blasts Laser Lance Electromagnetic Cross Merchandise In the early 1980s, the original ST Dairugger toys were released by Popy Pleasure under the toy release number of GB-72, as part of the Chogokin label, and constructed of high-quality die-cast materials. A GB-73 would follow, with a transforming DX Dairugger, which could separate only into the three larger combined vehicles. A larger version of Dairugger XV was also released, which did not contain die-cast materials, as the metal content was too heavy for the design and for the Friction motors installed in many of the vehicles. The smallest non-transforming ST Dairugger and the fully-transforming plastic Dairugger XV would be resold in the US as part of the Voltron series by Matchbox, entirely under the Voltron name. However, the Popy version came with a sword, missiles, and stickers that the Matchbox version did not. Because Dairugger had 15 pieces, and was a highly playable figure compared to many of the other fixed-state super robots of the early '80s, there were countless imitations and bootlegs of Dairugger. Some are cheap plastics, some do not assemble well, some have neon-glowing colors that are completely misaligned with the show. Even approved brands such as "Big Bear" were spawned to rejuvenate the toyline.BigBear Dairugger. "BigBear Info." Dairugger Toy Re-release. Retrieved on 2006-11-06. No version, however, is identical in quality, packaging, and comes with all the pieces like the Japanese original. DVDS Dairugger XV Collection 1 will be released on February 23, 2010. Comics In the recent comic by Image Comics and Devil's Due Publishing, this particular Voltron came about through the capture and study of the original Lion Voltron. Thus, while machines cannot truly be cloned, this Voltron could be considered an imperfect clone of the first Arusian Voltron. The machine was referred to in one issue as V-15, and was actually attacked by the Lion Voltron in order to repair himself. Unlike in the animated series, which only had two crossovers with the Lion Force (once at the end of the Lion Force run, and the other in the "Fleet of Doom" special, which brought both Voltrons together), and in which the two Voltron Forces were longstanding friends, the comics depicted Keith and Jeff having an antagonistic relationship with one another, particularly in regards to Lion Voltron's supposed "sneak attack" on the Vehicle Voltron. Differences between the Japanese and American versions In the re-released U.S. version, the plotline was adapted to the Voltron universe. After the successful expedition to Planet Arus in the Far Universe during the early episodes of the [[Voltron|Lion Force (a.k.a., "Voltron III")]] series, Voltron technology was brought back to Earth in order to aid the Galaxy Alliance in its ongoing war with the Drule Empire. The Alliance's home planets have become vastly overcrowded, and a fleet of explorers have been sent to search out new planets to colonize in the Near Universe. Along the way, they attract the attention of the evil Drules, who proceed to interfere with the explorers and the colonists, eventually carrying the war all the way back to Earth itself. Since the Voltron of Planet Arus is too far away to help the new explorer force, a totally new Voltron is constructed to battle the Drule threat. * Dairugger XV and GoLion are not related in any way, in contrast to the U.S. version. The Galaxy Alliance only exists in Dairugger XV in the Japanese, since Earth in GoLion is destroyed in a thermonuclear war. * Many of the allied and enemy force members died in Dairugger, as opposed to disappearing without any explanation in the U.S. Voltron series. The finale of Dairugger XV was different in its Voltron form — the U.S. footage had no depiction of Emperor Zeppo's true fate, which left a lot of questions for U.S. viewers (although one shot of Zeppo dead on the throne remained intact). The scene of Emperor Zeppo's death was cut out due to violence, perishing in an assassination attempt by Hazar and the Drules, who want freedom for their people. His death was similar to the bloody nature of Emperor Zanbazir's in Voltes V. * In the Japanese version, Telesu (Hazar) dies a martyr, and there is a sad scene where his body is left to die on Galveston at his request. He does not become the new leader of the new Drule people after all, but rather, his sister Dorma; the series ending where the Drules are finally at peace. This is highly referential to the ending in Daimos, where Erika, not Richter, becomes the new leader. The flames that engulf him are similar to Prince Heinel's redeemed death in Voltes V. * Aki (Jeff) and Haruka (Lisa) have a serious relationship in the show. The lucky charm that Haruka gives to Aki dies with Telesu (Hazar). * Dick Asimov (Captain Newley) was Jinji Ise's (Commander Hawkins) superior officer in the original series. The dialogue was rewritten in Voltron to suggest that Hawkins was Newley's superior. There were inconsistencies, however that reveal the original ranks of the two officers. Korean version There is a South Korean knockoff of Dairugger XV called Super Titan 15 (슈퍼타이탄15).http://glwwf.egloos.com/656755 References External links * [http://dairuggerxv.animation-web.com/cutpics.htm Dairugger XV Uncut Scenes and Comparison] Category:Anime series Category:Super Robots Category:Mecha anime and manga Category:Anime of 1982 Category:Japanese television series Category:Voltron nl:Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV ja:機甲艦隊ダイラガーXV ru:Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV